Memories
Recap:
Armaan- Ridhimaa comes back from Goa' Ridhimaa tries to talk to Armaan who clearly ignores her' they go for party' Armaan fells into pool accidently' Ridhimaa comes to know about his fear of water' Ridhimaa forwards a proposal of amity which Armaan accepts.
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"Eddie'.Eddie" Armaan yanked the tie of his neck and throw it on the bed angrily. He was getting late for office and Edward was still downstairs busy in his so called class. 'Poor people' Armaan thought. Edward was a meticulous perfectionist. He can't bear a minute mistake. So, he was used to lecture anyone came in his way. Early this morning he found one of the guard not wearing ironed shirt so Edward was busy giving him lecture on 'how one should appear on his duty'.
Armaan tuned to call Edward when he appeared at door, without saying a word Edward picked up the abandoned tie and started tying it around Armaan's neck. Edward raised his eyes to Armaan's face and found him looking away pouting.
"Take it easy boy" said Edward patting Armaan shoulder.
Armaan grunted loudly "stop calling me that" he was 26 years old for crying out loud. Edward chuckled slowly but sobered soon, assisting Armaan in wearing his blazer.
"What's going on boy?" Armaan stiffen for a moment- his ears drummed with warning 'Edward was in interrogator's mode'. Armaan turned to face Edward relaxing his stance "get a grip Eddie you are quite old to behave like an eager teenager" Armaan smiled at his own joke. On the other hand Edward arched a perfect eyebrow at him. Armaan exhales exasperatedly.
"What do you want old man?"Edward glared at Armaan to which Armaan smiled wickedly. Armaan was too resentful to stay calm. He had found this counter to Edward very long ago. Edward hated being called as 'old man' as much as Armaan hated 'boy'.
"You know what I am talking about you and'"
"Armaan" Edward and Armaan both turned to Ridhimaa-standing at door with try in her hand. She glanced at Edward warily and turned her attention to Armaan who smiled at her- tiny friendly smile.
"I'll be waiting downstairs" Edward left them alone not before sparing a cold glare at Ridhimaa. A shiver ran through her with the intensity of his glare as if it could burn her in just that instance. Armaan noticed both Edward glaring and Ridhimaa shivering.
"Don't pay him any attention Ridhimaa he is quite cranky from some time now" Ridhimaa stared at Armaan's back and kept the try at table next to Armaan's file. It's been a week since they became friends however there was certain awkwardness between them since then. Armaan was also seemed really quite to her- no pranks, no teasing, no comments nothing at all.
"Some time?" asked Ridhimaa raising her brows at him. She already was subject to Edward's so called 'crankiness' since he arrived.
Armaan's lips turned upward "yup just since I first met him". Ridhimaa smiled shaking her head and saw Armaan doing the same. Very unsuspectingly and smoothly awkwardness was passing from between them.
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"I am dead" Ridhimaa looked up from the file to Anjali- sitting next to her with her head fallen back and eyes closed- and smiled fondly. Poor soul was having hard time adjusting so much stress. The new cardiac ward was giving her head attack. Anjali was glad Ridhimaa was helping her with the paperwork and accounts.
"What happened di?" asked Ridhimaa giving Anjali a moment to relax.
Anjali sat straight and exhaled "don't ask ridz you know this continues meeting and all its killing me. So much stress. I am feeling like my head is gonna burst any moment"
Ridhimaa poured water for her "chill di I know you can manage"
Anjali took the glass from her gulping the content in single breath "thanks sweetie! I know I can handle. You see usually atul helps me but nowadays he is also so busy I don't want to stress him with extra work"
Ridhimaa nodded acknowledging. Anjali kept the glass and saw her files scattered there.
"Wow you checked this already?" squealed Anjali scanning the file quite cheerfully as a child who just returned home from school all drained and found his homework already done.
Ridhimaa chuckled softly "yes di I did it and I did the corrections too"
Anjali pushed the file and hugged Ridhimaa "oh you are darling ridz thank you so much"
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Ridhimaa crawled on paper flaccidly. She was dead tired and in awful need of sleep. Helping Anjali was not easy task. She was more of concern for Anjali than tired. Being trusty Anjali was handling everything single handedly. Though, there was another partner but he was facing some crises in his business so Anjali took all the responsibility. She was the active trusty of Sanjivani and the new addition to Sanjivani was solely her idea. Anjali wanted to open a new cardiac ward fully equipped with latest machines and world's best specialists.
Ridhimaa knew about anjali's situation but still the way her work was wearing her out it made Ridhimaa worried about her. Although, Anjali was very health conscious but when it comes to work she was just like their father- can't see anything beyond work. Ridhimaa helped Anjali with her work but still there was a lot what Anjali was handling alone and Ridhimaa wanted to find some way to help her.
Ridhimaa snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Armaan emerging out of study. He passed her a small smile, really small, kind of awkward smile which pumped the discomfited nerve in her too. The awkwardness was never there not even when they were enemies and now when they became friends they were not even comfortable with each other. Ridhimaa's eyelids fell tiredly covering not only her vision but her thoughts too as she was all ready for her journey to dreamland.
"Tired?" Ridhimaa's eyes snapped open hearing Armaan's voice. He was so silent nowadays that Ridhimaa almost jumped hearing his voice. It seemed like he didn't spoke in years.
Armaan chuckled lightly seeing Ridhimaa's bamboozled expression "you look terrible you know" Armaan notified.
"I am" confirmed Ridhimaa trying to force her eyes open and failing miserably at the same time.
Armaan took file from Ridhimaa's lap and sat besides Ridhimaa "I think you missed a entry here" Armaan pointed after a moment. Ridhimaa opened her eyes slightly to look what he was pointing at but saw him correcting it himself.
"I think you should assist bhabhi", Ridhimaa frowned while her eyes still close. She was dead aware of Armaan's presence on same couch but for some reason it was not that uncomfortable so she didn't bothered. She was about to tell him that she was doing the very thing that too since days when he spoke up again finishing his earlier sentence "officially"
That woke Ridhimaa up a bit. Was he in full conscious?
"What?" Ridhimaa asked after a pause.
Armaan's brow puckered in concentration while he answered her digging his head more in the file "I think you should assist bhabhi officially' Armaan repeated, thinking that perhaps she didn't heard him.
Ridhimaa rolled her eyes "I heard that. I am asking why?"
Armaan still didn't look up "what why?"
"Itch why do you think that I should officially join di"
"Oh" Ridhimaa waited for him to continue but when he didn't "I am waiting" she probed to get her answer.
"Yeah look bhabhi suffering from work overload. Usually bhai helps her but now that bhai is busy and this new cardiac word it's all wearing her out terrible. I am worried she will end up admitted in her own hospital and moreover you also don't like to sit idle" Armaan finished his long speech still frowning at the specific entry.
"Yeah that's right" Ridhimaa's head fell back. She was too tired to keep her eyes open. She intolerably wanted to finish the discussion when something caught her attention and her eyes flew open "how do you know?"
"The price'" Armaan stopped and looked at Ridhimaa for the first time since he took the file in his hands. "I am neither deaf Ridhimaa" said Armaan rubbing his left ear. She shouted right into his left ear. "Nor blind' in fact dad also suggested bhabhi to get a assistant but bhabhi won't trust anyone besides family so the chapter was closed but now you are helping bhabhi already so you can assist her"
Armaan saw her shaking her head and asked "what? You don't want to assist her?"
"No" came the reply.
"No?" Armaan asked incredulously.
"No' I mean I was not asking about that?" she corrected herself.
"Then?"
"I am asking that how do you know about my annoyance at idleness?"
Armaan stiffened "oh"
Ridhimaa waited for his answer. But instead he got up from couch and started towards balcony "it's late Ridhimaa. You really look tired" he suddenly stopped and turned to her as if remembering something important "ridhimaa that price list.." he stopped and shook his head seeing Ridhimaa's tired face "nothing' nothing important . Good night. Sleep well."
Ridhimaa looked at his dark finger glistening in moon light for a brief moment. He was so difficult to understand, like a mystery novel which you can't solve until end. God knows when she will be able to undone all his mysteries. He was so quite this days, barely speaking. Initially, Ridhimaa thought maybe the incident was still fresh in his mind which was disturbing him but he was still the same weeks after that incident. He seemed disturbed in fact troubled to her. She wanted to ask him but didn't knew what to expect from their 'friendship'. Giving in to her need for rest Ridhimaa closed her eyes.
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"I can't... try to understand please' look" Armaan rotates 90 degree on his steps and saw Ridhimaa trying to open suitcase. Armaan exhales in relief. He was in balcony on his phone when he heard the thud.
"I'll talk to you later" Armaan cancelled the call. Ridhimaa was still trying to open the suitcase which made Armaan sure that she didn't listened anything.
Ridhimaa glared at the suitcase. She finally decided to shift her stuff in dressing room. It was a good signal for peace between them but the suitcase had another thoughts. Armaan's lips twitched on his way to her seeing her pulling chain with all her might.
"Need help?" Ridhimaa turned abruptly hearing his voice. She didn't notice him earlier. His sudden appearance startled her.
Armaan raised a brow when she didn't said anything and asked again "may I?"
"Please" Ridhimaa gestured him with her hand. She knew she will have to get used to him being around soon. She didn't want to react like this each time she hears him.
Armaan's hand replaced Ridhimaa's on chain. He opened the chain in one move swiftly. Ridhimaa wasn't surprised. Why would she? After all, he spends most of his morning building muscles. It wasn't difficult for him, Ridhimaa knew that but what she didn't was that the suitcase she opened was overloaded(she felt the heaviness but thought it was due to the saris- weighted more than her). The moment Armaan pulled the chain completely few things fell off.
Ridhimaa quickly tried to pick it but Armaan was fast, really fast this time. Ridhimaa looked up and saw the recognition and excitement floating in his eyes. Ridhimaa tried to snatch it from him but he took a step back fully concentrating on the object in his hands and still noticing her every move.
"Doll!" he mused.
"Armaan'" Ridhimaa cautioned him from what she knew was coming.
"You still have it Ridhimaa?" he looked at her this time, clearly surprised.
"Armaan give it to me" Ridhimaa demanded sternly.
"God!" he sighed "don't tell me Ridhimaa you still play with it" he chuckled shaking his head at the thought.
"Armaan please wapas do" Armaan continue moving back as ridhimaa was stepping towards him in order to get the doll out of his hands.
"Ridhimaa yeh doll'. Oh sorry it's not doll' your best friend right. What was her name?" he scratched his head "hmmm'. Yes Tweety. How are you Tweety?"
"Armaan enough" Ridhimaa warned.
Armaan was didn't paid any heed to her warning "do you remember Ridhimaa tum hamesha is doll ko lekar ghumai rehti thi and ek baar eski shadi bhi karavayi thi aur tum royi bhi thi" Ridhimaa felt her cheeks getting hot. It was embarrassing to know he remembered but she was just a kid.
"You were looking so funny. Well tum toh hamesha hi funny lagti thi with that two pony tails" Armaan laughed this time remembering her appearance when she was child. Ridhimaa took advantage of the situation and grabbed the doll out of his hands.
"Shut up Armaan" snapped Ridhimaa.
"Ah' the famous Gupta's line' I missed that" said Armaan chuckling at her retreating figure. Ridhimaa huffed angrily. He was finally being himself after so many days but then he was back into the 'Annoying Mallik' mode.
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Edited by -SmokySapphira- - 12 years ago
Ufff Yeh Love Hai Mushkil
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